Welcome Back to Neverland!
by storyteller246
Summary: When newcomer Mira finds herself in Neverland, Peter shows her what the strange place has to offer. Together the two find themselves on adventures involving pirates, mystical creatures and a secret that could hold the key not only to Neverland but Mira's past and Peter's purpose as well. M rating for evil Captain Hook violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Dear Readers!**

 **I'm so sorry for the wait. Good news through – in my absence I have finished 'Welcome Back to Neverland.' I went back and re-wrote most of it to help the flow of the story. This includes the addition of the prologue to introduce Mira. For those of you that are returning readers, it is more or less the same as the original; it just adds a little more information. Thank you for your patience. Happy reading!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own anything from the Peter Pan universe. Mira is an original character.**

PROLOGUE

Mira had never known a world outside the walls of the Saint Nicholas' Home for Children where she was taken after the death of her mother, twelve years ago. Mira had no memory of her parents, but no one could fill the role of a loving mother and father. The residential support workers fulfilled their duties by the book, the living quarters were clean, the children were fed (even if the food was tasteless), and there were always bandages to patch up any adventurous childhood mishaps. However, there was no one to tuck them into bed, or kiss their heads so they had good dreams through the night. The patrolling adult that crept down the corridor, checking that there were no lights seeping from underneath the doors, didn't quite fit that endearing role. The only thing she had to remember them were her bright green eyes, which must have seen them at one point of her young life. If only she could remember.

Alice, however, was the best part Mira' childhood. She had arrived as a newborn from the hospital four years after Mira had arrived herself. Alice would cry through the night and keep Miss Mavis awake. This was a problem for everyone because Miss Mavis didn't like children at the best of times, let alone when she was sleep deprived. Miss Mavis was a giant of a woman. Her arms were long and lanky with bony fingers. Her eyes were thin and squinted, probably caused by the tight bun her hair was always pulled into. But her most distinctive feature was her nose which was just a little too big for the rest of her face.

One night Mira woke to the sound of a thud followed by cries in the room above hers, Alice's room. Mira had crept out of her room, checking the hallways and staircases for no passing sentries, and poked her head through the door that had been left ajar. Miss Mavis was screaming at the baby Alice to stop crying. The door creaked, causing Miss Mavis to whip around with a stony glare at Mira, now in the line of sight of not only Miss Mavis, but baby Alice as well. The baby's innocent blue eyes, surrounded by red blotches, locked to Mira's and the baby instantly ceased her crying. Miss Mavis was in the midst of redirecting her anger towards Mira when she noticed the baby's wailing had become small, infrequent whimpers. The woman looked between Mira and the baby a few more times before walking towards Mira, handing Alice to her, and walking out of the door without another word.

The next day, Mira's few possessions and bed were moved into the attic which Alice. The attic had been the room farthest away from Miss Mavis as possible. There, neither the crying nor any other noise two little girls might make, would interrupt her slumber. It was also the place where Alice learned to walk, Mira read her books and pages she had found, kissed her head and turned out the light. For years the girls were closer than friends, their relationship resembled something like inseparable sisters.

One day, nine years after Alice had arrived, a man and his wife appeared at their attic door. They smiled down at Alice and introduced themselves as family. The glamorous woman began to cry as she knelt down and embraced Alice in the type of hug Mira couldn't remember ever receiving. Within the next few minutes, Alice was swept away and Mira never saw her again. Mira kept to the attic after that, not sure what to do with herself now that there wasn't someone who needed her. Eventually, the Saint Nicholas' came under new management. Mira, didn't like the new staff any more than the old ones. She often evaded the adults whom entered the attic in search of her by climbing high up into the rafters. Eventually, they assumed she had run away. So once again, she was left alone.

1 - Ghosts

Mira was woken by a creaking floorboard during the early hours of the morning. She sat bolt upright to scan the dark room, straining her eyes to focus on the shadowed corners. As quietly as possible, she leant over and flipped the switch on the lamp to illuminate the room. She scanned around the room again, this time confident there were no prowling silhouettes in the space. Mira sighed with relief as she eased off the mattress and padded over to the small window overlooking the street below. Quiet and still; the scene was only disrupted by a stray cat wandering in her direction between each pool of light baring down from the uniform street lamps. Another creak sounded in the room behind Mira. Her stomach clenched and she spun around, sure to find someone coming towards her. But there wasn't. The room was as empty as it had been before.

She shook her head free of the paranoid thoughts and walked over to the door which isolated her from the rest of the building. Ever since Alice had left, she had kept to this room. She didn't bother anyone and no one bothered her. On nights like this however, when the room was especially dark and the draft breathed down her neck, Mira would take one of the old chairs and wedge it between the door handle and the floor, securing the door shut. If she didn't, the door would creak open and Mira thought it sounded like a ghost playing tricks on her. Mira checked that the chair was still tightly secured before returning to bed.

But Mira couldn't help but turn her attention towards the open window. It was apparently too early for rational observation because she hadn't noticed that earlier. Rising once more, she crossed the room and forced the window shut. Mira looked down at the scene and noted that the cat had abandoned the street, sprinting off in the opposite direction. Just as Mira began to question the cat's actions, she felt a prick in her upper arm. She winced and looked down at the offending object and observed a small tuft of feathers protruding from her skin. Mira stumbled as her head became heavy and her vision blurred. She reached forward in an effort to find the wall and stabilise herself but instead collapsed into the harsh welcome of the floor. She looked up to see someone standing over her. Through her compromised vision, she could just make out a glimmer from a belt buckle and the glide of a hat brim.


	2. Chapter 2

2 – Pirates?

A bright light flickered from behind Mira's closed eyelids. As she blinked them open, she was confronted with an outrageous sun blaring directly into her eyes. She snapped her eyes shut as she sneezed violently, the way she did when she walked outside on a particularly sunny day. The ground beneath her jolted suddenly and she was sprayed with salty water.

"A successful landing, Captain!" a voice called.

Mira pushed herself into a standing position so to get a better look at where she was. However instead of gaining any insight, she lost her balance and fell face first into the wooden floor.

"Ow." She groaned, looking down the length of her legs to find the cause of her unbalance. At her ankles, she found a thick, twisted rope wound around them; her wrists were also bound together. Mira let out a distressed, but quiet, whine; as she wasn't sure if making a lot of noise would worsen her already uneasy situation.

Her body lurched forward as the timber floor beneath her gently swayed from side to side. Mira was becoming increasingly alarmed, and as she looked upwards she observed enormous pregnant sails overhead.

A voice bellowed around the ship, shouting orders to the bustling crew. Mira swivelled around to face the direction of the voice, and caught sight of the ghost from her room. The same glint of waist metal and sharp brim slicing through the air, which existed frozen and dead in his presence. From beneath it, hair dark as coal settled royally upon his shoulders in waves much like the ones he commanded, still rocking the ship from below. But of all the man's features Mira was consumed by his eyes. They were a cruel and lustreless red, resembling spots of blood splattered across stone.

A strong leg kicked Mira back towards the ground, leaving a distinct boot print on her shoulder.

"Stay down! Stickin' ya head out too far gets it chopped off!" snarled an ugly man sporting a scar down the side of his face. Mira glared back at him, but didn't make a sound.

"Now now, Clef." Came a calm voice belonging to the Captain. "We must welcome our guest."

The atmosphere turned cold and Mira tried to hide the hairs now erected on her bound arms as the red eyes veered to pierce her own.

Clef lunged at her once more making Mira blink. A second later, when the scene was once again before her eyes, Clef had a silver hook pressed to his neck. Her eyes followed the hook to a wrist and all the way to the red spots embedded in a chillingly neutral face. It was as if the Captain could rip through Clef's throat and wouldn't take the time to watch him fall. Mira watched as Clef's skin spared a single drop of blood, and with that, the Captain lost interest, pulling the hook away from him.

"Thank you Captain. Sorry Captain. Won' happen again Captain." Clef rushed between anxious breaths whilst stepping back and promptly leaving.

The Captain's eyes remained fixated on Mira. Her body betrayed a tremble which forced one side of his mouth to kink upwards in satisfaction.

"Are you scared of me, _girl_?"

The truth was that Mira was more confused than she was scared. However, the Captain, Captain Hook as it was, had a particular talent for making those around him particularly unsettled. Mira's voice was caught in her throat and so instead of responding to him, she sat a little taller and gave him a similar crooked smile. Captain Hook's eyebrows hitched up the tiniest fraction, as if Mira had impressed him. For a moment Mira relaxed a little, however her blood ran cold when the kink of his lips split into a revolting grin.

He bent over to look into her eyes directly, and with a breath that was brown and rotten, he whispered, "Fool."

Captain Hook retrieved a sword from its scabbard. The blade was enormous with a handle that was encrusted with precious gems. Captain Hook held it up to square Mira in the chest before a small glow suddenly appeared on the Captain's shoulder. He tried to shoo it away but the small creature then landed on his nose, and then his hat, and then his boot; until it had the Captain spinning in circles trying to catch the culprit. The small glow zoomed past Mira's eyes and in that moment, Mira could see that the small ball of light was actually a lady with wings, no taller than two inches. The little lady zoomed around the Captain until he lost his balance and landed heavily in front of Mira. Mira couldn't help but let out a small giggle and a second later, she knew this was a mistake. Captain Hook's eyes, alight with fury, locked to hers. Mira paled and struggled to put some distance between the Captain and herself, but eventually hit the wooden wall of the ship, designed to stop people from falling over the edge. The Captain began to close the space she had created, raising the sword again. Mira pressed herself into the wall, willing it to fall away or for some opportunity to escape the lunatic in front of her.

"Captain Hooooooook!" Came a voice followed by a hearty laugh. The Captain yelled in familiar frustration and looked up into the sky above him, directing the attention away from Mira.

"PAN!"


	3. Chapter 3

3 – Bellies, Beaches and Brown

When Peter Pan woke up that morning, he knew that it would be an important day. There was a feeling in his belly that was pulling him up and out of bed, forcing him into the new day. The feeling excited him, nothing was better than a new adventure. He ran around the other beds, nudging at the lost boys to wake them. There were some disinclined stirs and groans, but none of the boys rose from their sleep. Peter stood with his hands on his hips and sighed, looking around at them. He rolled his eyes, took in a deep breath, and crowed like a rooster at the top of his lungs.

The noise echoed around the walls and tree roots of their living space and quickly reached the ears of his companions. Young boys began crying out, covering their ears and falling over the sides of their beds.

"What the heck, Peter?" one boy whined from his position on the floor.

"Fall in men!" Peter called, noting the irony. The boys followed his instruction and organised themselves into a regimented line before him. Peter began to stroll up and down the line as if he were inspecting the company, when really he had no interest in their appearance. "Today is the day, I can feel it in my belly." Peter announced.

"The day for what?" one of the smallest boys inquired.

"The day something _amazing_ happens." Peter's eyes were wide and he was practically vibrating with anticipation. "Well? What are we waiting for? Come on!"

Peter led the way out from underneath the giant white tree. They began to trek through the forest in search of their adventure and soon after they were greeted by Tinkerbell. She made a beeline for Peter and sat on his shoulder. Peter spared a few moments in order to explain to her what they were up to. Tinkerbell perked up and started flying in a circle above the group, all the while releasing fairy dust into their hair. Peter watched his companions float upwards before pushing off from the ground to join them, and the fairy, in the air.

"Have you got something to show us Tink?" Peter asked, flying after her to try and catch up. Tinkerbell nodded and charged through the air even faster, leading them towards the beach.

Once the sand was in sight, Peter called out to the boys clumsily floating behind him. "Get ready to land, men!"

Peter landed neatly on the beach and ignored the thumps and groans of the Lost Boys behind him. He was too busy looking out at the sea where Captain Hook's ship could be seen in mid-air, lowering itself towards the water.

"Whoa!" Slightly gasped from behind him. Peter nodded in agreement, wondering where the Captain had been. "What happened?" The voice piped up again.

Peter became aware that Slightly was not referring to the same event that he was. Peter turned to look at what the boys thought was more intriguing than the Jolly Roger returning to Neverland. In an even border, lining the beach, was a string of dry and browning plants. "Peter?" Slightly said to prompt an answer.

"I . . . I have no idea. I've never seen this before." Peter stuttered, looking up and down the beach in astonishment. "Tinkerbell, do you know what did this?" He looked towards his companion who shook her head in response.

"So, what do we do?"

"Um, I d-" Peter began before hearing distance shouts on the ship behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Captain Hook advancing on someone. "Slightly, take the boys and see if this goes around the entire island. Tink, come with me."

Slightly nodded at the leader and took off down the beach. Peter watched them leave and then followed after Tinkerbell who had zoomed off already in the direction of the Jolly Roger.


	4. Chapter 4

4 – Welcome Back

"Welcome back to Neverland, Cap'n!"

Mira craned her neck to face the direction of the voice. A boy with dishevelled red hair landed on the wooden barrier behind her and stood with his hands placed firmly on his hips. A face of fierce mischievousness observed the Captain with a plan flickering behind his eyes. Mira looked between the two and saw Captain Hook's face contort in fury before he lunged toward her and Peter. Mira gasped, seeing her own frightened reflection in the sword heading towards her. She flinched, but Peter was already clutching her under the arms and pulling her out of harm's way.

The Captain skidded to a halt but not before hitting the side of the ship. He flailed his arms desperately grasping for balance on the barrier, slowly tipping over the edge. Before he could plant his feet back to security, Peter Pan tiptoed up behind him and delivered a mighty boot up the backside, sending the Captain screaming downwards to a smack, as he landed flat on the water's surface. Pan surrendered a brief wince before rolling on the deck cackling hysterically whilst the crew began fumbling with ropes and falling over each other, attempting to retrieve their Captain from the water.

Mira's confusion had infected her entire face and she could do nothing but stare absently at the strange person before her, trying to make sense of the events of that morning.

"I'm Peter, by the way. Peter Pan. Master of adventure, maker of fun, and generally terrific bloke!" he announced before performing a deep bow. Peter Pan gazed at her with intense curiosity. "You aren't like the other g-"

Peter's intrigue was interrupted as a flash from a blade suddenly appeared from behind him. Mira's eyes widened to see that Captain Hook had not only resurfaced, but was back on the ship with more rage than ever. Hook advanced on the unprepared Peter and clubbed him over the head with a fist. Peter crashed to the floor, lying unconscious beside Captain Hook's misplaced sword. Hook stepped over the still body, retrieved his sword and advanced towards Mira, hovering the blade before her throat.

"I-I don't understand! Why are you doing this?" she yelled, suddenly finding her voice. Her eyes flicked desperately between Hook and the still unconscious Peter Pan. Her gaze hovered up into the red eyes once more, for a moment she saw Captain Hook's glare falter. Hook even lowered the sword a fraction as he stared at her in disbelief.

"You don't know?" he whispered, more so to himself.

Captain Hook shook his head clear and raised the sword again. Mira took a shallow, shaky breath and contemplated whether there would be any shame in closing her eyes.

"Let her go, Hook! You have no business with her!" Peter demanded, flying over and attacking the Captain's sword arm, causing the blade to fall and clatter on the floor. Peter repossessed the sword and raised it himself towards the Captain. But it was no good. Clef appeared and snatched a handful of Mira's hair, using it to yank her to her feet. Clef held a dagger to her throat and caught the attention of both his Captain and Peter. In that moment, the tension building within the triangle of people was distracted by a faint ticking sound.

Hook's attention snapped towards the sea. He ran to the side of the boat and looked over, trying to locate his fiend.

"Well, wha' a convenient surprise!" Clef said delightedly, nodding towards Peter.

"Clef, what are you doing?" Hook's voice had started to shake.

"It looks like your lil' prank with our poor Cap'n has woken the beast." And with a chilling grin, Clef flung Mira to the water.

The bellowing that broke out on deck grew fainter as Mira fell further away from the edge. She plunged into the water and attempted to claw her bound hands desperately towards the surface. She was sinking faster than she was struggling and with every moment the muffled arguments on the ship grew fainter. Mysterious shapes swirled amongst the depths as the water got darker.


	5. Chapter 5

5 – Fast Friends

"NO!" roared Peter Pan. He threw the sword to the deck and rushed after her, diving into the water.

Peter squinted to try and make out Mira's figure. He turned his head to see her last frail attempts to save herself dissolve into the surrounding water. Swimming franticly, he encircled one arm around her waist and used his remaining limbs to resurface. Once above the water, Peter flew in the direction of the beach. He could hear the argument unfolding between Captain Hook and Clef on the ship in the distance.

" _Why would you do such a_ _ **stupid**_ _thing?" Captain Hook hollered._

" _B-but Cap'n. I th-thought_ ... _"_

Peter, with Mira in his arms, collapsed in a heap once he reached the sand. He rolled her onto her back and checked her over for any sign of life. There was a long pause but eventually Mira began to cough and splutter. She lay still and silent – but breathing.

"Phew!" he exhaled. "You almost scared me there."

Peter gathered her in his arms and trekked off with a bouncing step, into the line of trees.

Mira jolted awake and quickly spread her arms and legs apart to find that her bonds had been cut loose. She breathed a sigh of relief and began looking around the room she was in to try and make some sense of her whereabouts. The space was dark and earthy. Tree roots penetrated the dirt walls. Ladders and organic slides came from all directions which suggested the place was underground. It was comfortable though. Warm and dimly lit by candles, with rugs and cushions scattered around the place. In the middle, a long table stood grand and proud, surrounded with mismatched chairs.

A sound came from across the room at one of the slides. There was a soft _'whoosh'_ and someone glided into the room and stood up. Mira recognised him to be the Peter Pan boy she had met on the ship. She sat herself up and pushed at least three blankets from upon her.

"Hello!" Peter called cheerfully, as he crossed the room towards her. "Sorry about those blankets, they can be a bit heavy but I thought you might be cold. You went for a bit of a swim."

Mira released a confused scoff and but thanked him as he helped her with the last of the blankets. "Also, thank you for helping me earlier. One moment I was in my bedroom, the next I was on a _pirate ship_ with a sword to my throat. I didn't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."

"It was my pleasure. I was glad to have an actual _reason_ to mess with the pirates for a change." Peter gave a wide grin and chuckled a little. "Why were they after you anyway? Did you go after their treasure or something?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Mira replied honestly. "I was hoping you could tell me."

"Hmm," Peter stroked his chin while he thought before shrugging his shoulders. "The Captain was probably just trying to get my attention. This isn't exactly a new trick of his." He smiled quietly, remembering warmly his adventures with Jane.

"Right." Mira raised a questioning eyebrow at him but extended her hand out in front of her. "Well, I'm Mira. Thanks for everything you did."

Peter raised his eyebrows too, but shook her hand firmly. As their palms touched, Peter felt a warm buzz radiate between them, sending butterflies through his stomach. The gesture sliced through the silence of the room but it quickly returned to shifting eyes and awkward tension.

"This is Neverland, by the way. Welcome!" Peter said excitedly. He was so energised that he started to hover in his spot by the bed.

"So you DO fly!" Mira exclaimed. "I thought I was concussed or insane!"

The sides of Peter's eyes crinkled with amusement as he observed her fascination towards the foot of air separating Peter from solid ground. He lowered himself towards the ground to look at her directly again.

Mira gulped, clearing her throat so she could find her voice again, and asked, "How do you do that?"


	6. Chapter 6

6 – Defying gravity

Mira clasped to the bark with all her strength, desperately convincing herself not to look down. There was a haze of sound as Peter rattled off aerodynamic basics but Mira could only concentrate on not falling out of the tree. Fear trickled down her throat to rest molten in her stomach, threatening to throw her off balance as a steady hand rested at the small of her back. The terror within her dispersed as she drew strength from Peter standing by her side.

"Ok, so, since we have all that out of the way, time for the flying lesson. First thing's first. You need to be light because heavy objects fall faster, and we don't want that. You need to think happy thoughts. You know that feeling when something amazing happens and you feel like you could float away?" Peter asked.

Mira nodded. There was a time in the group home where Alice had thrown her a surprise party. It had only been the two of them, and because Mira didn't actually know what day she was born, Alice had chosen one at random and made sure that it was a good day for Mira.

"Brilliant! That's the hard part anyway. Then the only thing left to do is wait for Tinkerbell to get here. You'll need pixie dust to really fly." Peter said looking into her green eyes and admiring how they got darker around the iris' edge.

"Tinkerbell?" Mira questioned.

"Yeah, she's my fairy. You've seen her already." Peter said. "She was on the ship. Now practice thinking happy thoughts."

Mira found it hard to think on the spot. She thought of Alice and the games they used to play in the attic. Mira's favourite was when they would find odd pieces of timber and dual. Mira always won, but Alice became a fiercer competitor with every loss, making the challenge even more enjoyable. Not to mention the victories were so much sweeter. Mira focused on that feeling and before long she felt as though a perfect Spring breeze was sweeping through her, surging out from her chest to every fingertip and filling her head.

As she opened her eyes she could see clouds swirling around her. She looked down to find that the ground was even further away than it had been before. In fact, the entire tree was standing firmly below her. She almost fell out of the sky in surprise before remembering to think about Alice.

She spun around to face Peter who was looking at her as if she had spontaneously grown a second head. His expression chilled Mira to the bone, her weight returned and she quickly plummeted back towards the earth. Peter went after her and managed to slow the fall, however the two ended up crashing into a puddle of mud anyway.

"Ouch," they groaned simultaneously. Peter got up ran over to where she lay.

"Are you alright?" he said with wide eyes, checking her over for injuries.

"I'm fine, thanks to you. That was a close one." Mira smiled. She began to cough and spit. "Ugh, I have dirt in my mouth."

Peter chuckled and held out his hands to help her find her feet. "Come on. I know somewhere we can get cleaned up."

"Where was Tinkerbell? I don't think I saw her." Mira enquired as they set off towards the lagoon.

"You didn't. She wasn't there." Peter answered shortly.


	7. Chapter 7

7 – Feuding Friends

The gears in Peter's head grinded together as they trekked towards the lagoons. None of it made sense. He heard Mira say something beside him but was too tangled in his thoughts to respond. He gave a brief side look before his eyes returned to his feet which picked up their pace so he could walk ahead of her.

Suddenly there was a tug at his shoulder.

"Seriously, what is your problem?" Mira's brow was stitched together in frustration but Peter was trying to decide on how much he should tell her. "... Are you mad that I flew?"

Of course he wasn't mad, how could she think that? Flying is the best sensation he has ever felt and he loved sharing that. But everyone else had needed the dust...

"... I've been trying to talk to you since the mud puddle but all you do is grunt or shrug and then leave me in your tracks."

He watched the determined spark in her eye mellow as she took a deep breath. Peter decided to do the same as he formulated his answer.

"You're right, I'm sorry." He began, holding out his hand in truce. "I'm confused, you should have needed Tinkerbell's pixie dust that makes things fly."

"Oh...well why didn't you say so? I probably just got some on me when we were back at the ship."

He felt a hum pass through his palm as she energetically shook his hand, and watched as she bounced off lightly; turning to smile and motioning for him to follow.


	8. Chapter 8

8 – Deep Secrets

"Don't get too close." Peter warned as they approached the lagoons. "And don't talk too loudly, or too softly... otherwise they will get suspicious. Stay near the edge..."

"Surely mermaids aren't that bad."

"They're just a bit manipulative and don't like humans. It's better to have as little to do with them as possible."

"Why don't we go to a different place?"

"I have to talk to Sirena. They may be intense, but they know almost everything."

Sirena gazed up at the broken shards of sunlight filtering their way through the water. She flicked her tail to dissuade a loose seaweed tendril that tickled along her iridescent appendage.

 _Something is coming_

She concentrated to figure out what the movement was. It felt similar to the input received along her lateral line, but resembled an innate frequency reverberating at her centre. Sirena adjusted her circlet and motioned to her three companions to follow her as she led the way towards the surface and the beacon.

She observed Peter emerging from the water as the last remanence of mud dripped from his hair and clothes. Her consorts flipped with excitement to get his attention and began to glide through the water as he waved them over.

Sirena stopped fast, looking with intrigue at the girl beside Peter, who ever so slightly placed himself between them. Sirena acknowledged that he did not move this way to cause offence. Her people did not have a peaceful track record when it came to socialising with humans.

He lowered himself to Sirena and began to click his tongue and hum a soft song, resonating from deep within his throat, to which she replied.

" _ **But surely that is not possible?"**_ Sirena sang. _ **"Doesn't it wash off with water? And if Hook had thrown her into the ocean..."**_

" _ **He did, but it's the only explanation we've got. Tinkerbell has been AWOL since the ship and the fairy settlement is on the other side of the island. There wasn't any other opportunity."**_

" _ **Well...how can you fly without Tinkerbell constantly at your side?"**_

" _ **It was some magical ceremony the fairies did way back when I first arrived."**_

" _ **Hmm...Well I don't know anything about fairy ceremonies, but there is an aura coming from her that I have never felt before."**_ Sirena cooed with a shadowed expression.

She turned to look at Mira over Peter's shoulder, only to find that the girl was no longer there. She spun, creating a small whirl in the water, to find the three other mermaids were also nowhere to be seen.

A strangled yelp could be heard in the distance, quickly followed by a splash just around the lagoon's bend. Peter's head whipped around, worry enlarging his eyes, before pushing off and flying in its direction. Sirena followed in suit, slicing through the water and avoiding collisions with boulders making up the lagoon's basin.

They arrived in time to see Pearl, her silver-blonde locks tumbling down her shoulders and arms which were outstretched and helping a resurfacing Mira back up onto her rock seat. Mira settled next to Amala who was laughing with her and untangling a piece of seaweed from Mira's hair. The last of the three mermaids remained in the water but softly sung something which made her friends, including Mira, to laugh, causing Mira to almost fall off the rock again.

Peter watched in amazement as Mira fiddled with an object between her fingers, before leaning forward towards the mermaid in the water. Fearing the worst, Peter rushed over.

" _ **Here you are, Constantia."**_ Mira hummed as she passed her creation to her new friend.

Constantia clicked her thanks, slipping her head through the seaweed thread and letting the sea shell necklace hang around her neck.

" _ **Sirena! Meet our new friend Marella."**_ Amala gestured towards Mira who eyed the circlet on Sirena's head and deduced its meaning.

" _ **It's an honour to meet you, Your Highness."**_ Mira sung fluently, and bowed her head towards the mermaid in the water beside Peter.

He stared in complete confusion trying to grasp what had just occurred.


	9. Chapter 9

9 - Boys

Mira trekked behind Peter on their way home. He had grown quieter the later the day got. Only glancing at her every once in a while.

Her clothes started to feel lighter as the afternoon sun dried them after slipping into the water, reaching for Constantia's sea shell.

She remembered the warmth she felt in her gut when Amala introduced her as their 'friend,' and then how it froze when hearing Peter chime in.

' _It's Mira. Not Marella.'_

 _Pearl assured him that they knew that but thought Marella suited her much better._

' _Shining sea. Deep and beautiful like a sapphire.'_

 _Mira's ears flushed, and watched as Peter's eyes narrowed._

' _That's enough poetry for one day.'_

 _He hooked his arm in Mira's and led her off, not releasing until they were well and truly away from the lagoons._

She could once again feel the weight of his thoughts but decided not to intrude. Instead, she decided to walk silently behind him, only making a sound when Peter stopped quickly and turned to her.

"How did you speak to them?"

"I...I don't know. I guess I just picked it up along the way." Mira looked up at him with her most honest eyes.

He was only a few inches taller, staring down at her with a searching look, but she never broke the gaze.

"You're different. I don't know what, but there's something about you."

"Is that bad?" she said with a wary look.

"No! Well, I'm not sure. It's just confusing, that's all."

Mira's mouth pulled into a fine line as she nodded and started to walk again. She took a moment to think about what he had said as she watched him slide underground beneath the big white tree.

' _I suppose all this is a bit odd, compared to what life was like last week.' Mira thought. 'But this boy taught me to fly, I swam with mermaids, there's pirates in the cove, and at least one fairy flying around somewhere. I can't be any odder than the rest of this place.'_

Mira shook her head free of the thought and slid down after Peter.

At the bottom of the slide there was a group of boys all staring at her and taking a simultaneous gasp. Suddenly the room erupted with voices, moving as a group towards her.

"She looks different from Wendy." One boy observed.

"...and Jane!" Another added.

Peter opened his arms in an attempt to calm the crowd.

"She's still a girl though, right?"

"Does she tell stories?"

"Not all girls tell stories acorn breath." One corrected.

"Quiet!" Peter bellowed. "This is Mira. She was taken by the pirates and will be staying here for a while. I'll take her back as soon as we figure out what is happening to the island."

With that comment, there were muffled whispers within the group. Mira looked at Peter's expressionless face in the hope that he would give her some clue as to what he meant. However, he kept his stony look fixated on the group of boys.

"Slightly, report!"

One of the boys stepped forward quickly and adopted a military stance.

Mira watched as his breathing was accentuated by his overly squared shoulders pushing his chest in front of him. She smiled at how his posture contrasted his wild and untamed look, not only in his boyish appearance, but also by the twinkle in his eye.

"Nothing much more to report, Sir. The rest of the forest is like the bits you saw, Sir, before you told us to take over, Sir. The plants are browning and the sun is less warm, Sir. The fairies are scared, Peter." He winced at his break of character.

"At ease." Peter's mouth smiled at the boy, but his eyes were dark with worry.

Slightly hunched over and ruffled his hair. Smiling at Peter to reassure him, before walking straight up to Mira, clutching her hand and introducing himself.

"Hi, I'm Slightly. Peter's right hand man. And this is Nibs, Cubby, The Twins, and Tootles; all his other hands."

Mira laughed and introduced herself to the boys who welcomed her. She looked over to Peter who had collapsed into a chair, the weight of the day finally falling onto him.

"So ..." Cubby, the smallest of the boys mumbled, " _do_ you tell stories?"

The rest of the boys groaned at the question but shifted their eyes back to Mira, collectively curious about her answer.

"Well–" She began to respond but was cut off by Peter.

"I don't know about her stories...but she can talk to mermaids." He leapt on top of the table in every manner of dramatic flair. The boys turned to Mira and gasped.

"You _spoke_ to the mermaids? With all the weird clicking and singing? And they didn't _kill_ you?" Tootles asked with an exasperated look.

"N…no? They were quite lovely."

"They only like Peter."

"Yeah they can't stand us!" Nibs piped up with a laugh.

Mira's eyes flicked to Peter who was looking at her so intensely she felt the blood rush to her cheeks and she turned away hoping he wouldn't see.

Peter leapt down from the table and ordered the twins to collect the bags stashed in the corner of the room. On their return, the contents of the bags were poured onto the table top. An assortment of fruits and berries in every colour. It was only then that Peter realised how hungry he was. He walked over to Mira and guided her to the seat next to his at the table. Peter could feel the smooth buzz that occurred when they touched and was beginning to expect it every time he came close to Mira. He sat beside her and watched as the boys tucked into the feed.


	10. Chapter 10

10 – Sleep Walkers

After dinner, the boys filtered off to their beds and were snoring within minutes of their heads hitting the pillow. Eventually, only Peter and Mira remained at the table.

"So, where are you from? On earth, I mean." Peter asked quietly.

"Oh um, I'm from England. Do you know of it?"

"Know of it? I've been there! I have friends there." Peter responded with excitement.

"Really? Who are they?" Mira responded, relieved that they finally had something in common to talk about.

"Oh, you wouldn't know them." Peter shifted in his seat awkwardly and Mira watched his face fall a little. It was apparent that he didn't want to speak of them further, however Mira wasn't about to let the first normal conversation she had had with him slip through her fingers.

"Well probably not, I'd say. I don't know many people." She watched as Peter looked towards her again and so she continued. "I'm from a home for kids called Saint Nicholas'. My Mum and I got sick while I was still a baby. After she died in hospital I was sent to the home. It wasn't bad or anything but we didn't meet many new people. The only new people we saw would come to adopt someone and we rarely saw them after that."

"I'm sorry about your Mum. Do you remember her?" Peter paused for a moment, then added, "Because I don't remember mine."

"No, I don't remember her. I was way too young. But I think I can feel her sometimes, and see her when I'm dreaming. Miss Mavis said I was just being silly though. But who knows? After seeing this place, I guess anything is possible." Mira shrugged and let out a breathy laugh.

"Miss Mavis?" Peter asked.

"She ran Saint Nicholas'. She didn't like children very much. She'd probably be a pirate if she were here." The two of them laughed quietly so not to disturb the sleeping boys. Mira began to yawn, "Would you mind if I went to bed, it's been a very long day for me."

The both of them chuckled and her casualness and Peter directed her to the bed she had woken up in earlier that day. And not unlike the Lost Boys, after Mira lay down, she too was soon fast asleep.

Mira was woken by a stir. Ever since that night in her room, she had found it difficult to sleep deeply and had spent the night drifting in and out of restless dreams. She sat up quickly, and rubbed her stinging eyes. Another shuffle vibrated through the room and she looked in its direction to try and make out what was causing the disturbance. It was very late, she could see the lost boys' silhouettes sleeping soundly in their beds across the room, but someone was creeping around through the darkness. Her pulse pounded in her ears, her senses heightened as she remembered the last time, when she was kidnapped by the pirates. She squinted into the darkest part of the room and found Peter, quietly leaving.

Mira put her feet over the side of the bed and took a few steps towards where he had just disappeared. As she approached, her steps became shorter and slower, gradually losing their conviction. She stood still and agonised over whether she should follow him. _'Surely if he had wanted company he would have woken someone,'_ she reasoned to herself. Mira stepped quickly backwards to resume her position in the bed. She lay awake, starring at the ceiling, trying sleep.

Hours passed and just as the first rays of golden sunshine touched the earth, she could hear the smooth slip of someone coming down the slide. The figure stood up and filled Peter's frame. Mira's head buzzed with questions but the silence of the room was too thick for her to penetrate and so instead, she rolled over to face the wall and pretended to be asleep. The mattress sagged slightly as Peter's weight collapsed on top of the bed beside her. His breathing slowed, and soon he was sleeping deeply like the rest of the boys.

Later that morning, when they were all gathered around the table for breakfast, no one mentioned anything and Peter acted as if nothing had occurred.


	11. Chapter 11

11 – Game of Darts

Mira sat in a tree, looking out into the tangled forest displayed in front of her. A breeze floated through the assortment of leaves and fluttered the hair around her face. It was peaceful in Neverland, Mira thought. Although her mind was a constant whirlpool of questions, she felt comfortable. Unlike the place she had been taken from, Neverland was free and honest. Mira humoured the idea of thanking Captain Hook for bringing her to this paradise. Although she swiftly shook her head, freeing the thought from her mind, almost as quickly as it had occurred. She did, however, wonder why Hook had taken her. She had no family, he hadn't looted anything valuable from Saint Nicholas', and then the pirates had just let her go. It didn't make any sense; unless the entire stunt had purely the intention of luring Peter, she thought.

Her thoughts trailed off and were lost, thinking about Peter and the intriguing events of the night before. Peter hadn't been secretive, but she suspected that was because he didn't know anyone was awake to see him leave.

Suddenly, Peter landed on the branch beside her, startling Mira and causing her to jump. Peter reached out and steadied her with a small laugh, before she could plummet towards the ground. He smiled, then looked down to the ground which lay at least twenty feet below them. Peter's smile disappeared from his face as suddenly as he had appeared.

"How did you get up here?" his eyes scanned over her with cautious curiosity but keeping his face painfully neutral. He was obviously still puzzled at her apparent ability to fly.

Mira smiled and watched him squirm for a moment, before answering, "I climbed."

The tension in his shoulders fell away. Peter's searching eyes played on her for moment before looking out into the landscape as well, swinging his feet below him. He reached over to a small branch beside them and hovered his hand beneath it. Mira watched as the branch began to quiver and an apple grew from it into Peter's open palm. The growth shuddered to a stop and Peter pulled it from the tree offering it to Mira; who blinked a couple times before taking it hesitantly.

"How did you do that?" She exclaimed. Her eyes were wide with disbelief, flicking between the small branch and the apple now in her hand.

"You just have to think about it." He smiled merrily. "Just think about what you want, imagine it growing, and the tree provides. It's how Neverland works. If we take care of it, it will take care for us. It's as simple as that. But it's also why I'm so nervous about the deterioration that has been occurring."

Mira's questions were pushing from behind her lips which struggled to keep them all at bay. _'Perhaps Peter was patrolling the island last night?'_ she thought. However instead of saying anything, she took a bite of the apple, grateful to distract her mouth from the questions, and turned her head a little to watch his face as it remained cheerfully neutral. She wondered how much of his joy was genuine, and how much was a smoke screen to hide what he was really feeling. In her brief, but enlightening time of knowing him she had observed that he had exactly two facial expressions. One was the current display, in which his lips hitched up at the corners and his cheeks rose to squint his eyes; which twinkled if you looked close enough. The other was much harder, almost serious. The twinkle disappeared and his eyes flicked constantly, as if he was trying to find something right in front of him. The limited expressions made it almost impossible to discern what he was really thinking.

"Mira?"

Mira blinked and realised she had missed what Peter had said completely. She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment and politely asked him to repeat himself.

"You're rubbing your arm like a crazy person. Are you alright?"

She looked down to her upper arm which was red and irritated in one area. It was aching right at the centre of where she had been rubbing and her entire arm was itchy.

"Maybe I was bitten by something." She reasoned. She was not too worried about it. She used to get bitten by things all the time at the Saint Nicholas' Home for Children. A bug bite was usually not something to worry about.

Peter looked unconvinced for a moment before he was struck with a thought. "I'll be right back." He said, leaving Mira as he shot off and back under the home-tree. He was only out of sight for a few moments before he resurfaced and landed next to her once again. "I bet this is what caused it."

She looked down into his hand where he held a feathered dart. "That was in my arm the night I blacked out."

"Come with me." Peter didn't wait for her to respond. He grabbed her hand and helped her fly off towards the western side of the island.


	12. Chapter 12

12 – Tents, Tigerlily, and Spit?

Mira soared confidently with Peter by her side. She looked down and saw the trees racing past her and she powered forward as fast as she could go. Between the trees below, Mira watched as a handful of people sprinted along the forest floor, attempting to keep up with Peter and herself. Peter pointed out in front of them at a line of smoke rising skywards, just ahead of them.

"That's where we're headed." Peter shouted so she could hear him.

Within a matter of moments, they had reached a campsite with a burning fire in its centre. Mira coughed the smoke from her lungs as she slowly descended to the ground. She had accidently flown straight through the stream of smoke as she tried to slow down. As Peter waited on the ground for her to land, Tigerlily ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his middle. Peter buckled under the strength of the enthusiastic hug from the chief's daughter. A feather she was wearing in her hair tickled Peter's nose relentlessly; causing him to sneeze down the back of his admirer. She quickly pulled away in disgust but Peter merely laughed.

"Mira," Peter began, turned towards her, "this is Princess Tigerlily."

Tigerlily looked at Mira for the first time and brushed a pair of calculating eyes over her. The new girl Tigerlily had been confronted with was just slightly taller than herself but looked around the same age. In a developmental sense, that is. So Tigerlily, in an effort to show her acceptance, flung her arms around Mira in a similar breaking hug to the one she had gifted Peter on his arrival.

The pair were escorted into the camp by the princess and the scouts that had eventually caught up to them. Mira stood back and watched as Peter approached the chief, who pointed in the direction of one of the larger tents. Peter turned and beckoned Mira to follow him as he entered the tent. Mira turned and thanked Tigerlily quickly before hurrying in after Peter.

When she pushed through the fabric she saw Peter hurriedly whispering to an elderly woman with his hand outstretched to show her the feathered dart. The woman looked at it with familiar intrigue, as though she could not understand how he could have gained possession of such a thing. Peter leaned closer and murmured to the lady whose eyes shot up to look at him and then to Mira, still standing at the entrance. The sudden attention beckoned Mira nearer. The woman's eyes combed over her with intense curiosity before a surprisingly firm hand wrapped itself around Mira's wrist to inspect her arm.

"Mira, this is Gaho." Peter gestured towards the woman. "She says she has seen the dart before."

The woman started to speak to Peter, who replied in a tongue Mira had not heard before. "What happened after she was hit with this?" Gaho held up the dart.

Peter was stumped for a moment when he realised that he had no answer to this question; due to the fact that he had not been there when Mira received the dart. So Mira took the opportunity to respond for herself.

"I got dizzy and fell asleep. Then it got really itchy." Mira spoke fluently, giving the area on her arm another scratch in case she wasn't understood. Peter and the medicine woman watched her for a moment before Gaho got up and fetched a small bowl from a nearby table and walked outside.

"You can speak to them, too?" Peter exclaimed with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, it just came out!" The look Mira received from him was so intense it sent a shiver down her spine.

The stale air between them shook free when Gaho returned with the bowl, now containing a handful of shiny red sediment, and sat in front of Mira again. She instructed the girl to spit into the bowl which made Mira question her translations but Gaho made a gesture and so she hesitantly did as she was told. The elder took the bowl back and began to stir with her fingers, before rubbing the mixture over the redness of Mira's skin. Immediately the itchiness faded and a wave of relief washed over her.

"Thank you!" Mira gasped, looking up at the lady who gently nodded her head. The three of them stood up to exit the tent but just before leaving, Mira turned back to see Gaho and Peter whispering again. Gaho stretched her hand out in a gesture toward the South before noticing their conversation was being watched. She snapped her arm back to her side and ushered both Mira and Peter out the tent. Gaho took Peter's hand and looked meaningfully into his eyes before letting him go to lead Mira back to the hide out. His face accommodated the same shadowed expression which distracted him enough to miss the princess Tigerlily's farewell. Mira waved at her and smiled before turning back to Peter, now charging through the foliage outside of the camp.

"I guess we are walking home." Mira muttered to herself, trotting to catch up with him.

 **Note: Growing up, we were always told to spit on insect bites to stop the itchiness – and it actually works! This chapter was inspired by that memory.**


	13. Chapter 13

13 – Words Between Friends

Neither of them talked much on the way back to the hide out. Mira tried to ask Peter what he and Gaho had whispered about. But he just shrugged and mumbled something about not knowing what she was speaking of before going back to his stoic strut.

When they arrived, they were welcomed with the usual excitement of the Lost Boys. Everyone hushed however, when Peter ignored them and disappeared into an alcove off the main room – separated by a reed-weaved curtain.

All the boys looked towards Mira, who couldn't offer any insight and instead decided to distract them with the promise of food. They sat around the table and began sharing stories and competing against one another for who could fit the most into their mouths at once. The games amused Mira for a while, but she eventually found it impossible to ignore Peter, hidden behind the curtain. The temptation grew until it was unbearable and so she stood from the table, collected some fruits in a large leaf and gently knocked on the frame of the alcove before entering.

Peter looked over his shoulder to see Mira, offering him some food in return for entry. Peter felt the regular buzz from her before the looming worry that had confined him all evening.

"May I join you?" Mira asked before taking the seat that he gestured towards. Their shoulders grazed slightly as she sat beside him, sending dull electric waves between them. Peter tried to ignore it by taking some berries from her collection. "Why are you in here, all alone?"

"Just thinking, it has been a tiring day." Understatement. Peter had been agonising for days, concerned for the island and its people.

They sat in silence for a while. Mira didn't know what to ask and Peter had no idea how to answer any of the questions she might have. Mira decided to make one more effort and asked, "Peter, please, tell me what Gaho said."

He looked at her closely, his face carefully neutral. "You have to understand – I can't tell you everything. Not yet." He watched as she nodded cautiously before he continued. "She said that the dart that was in your arm hasn't been used since before even I got here; that's why she was so surprised to see it."

Peter looked away, trying to find the right words. Mira began to think he may not tell her any more, but he took her hand suddenly and said they were going for a walk. He barked at the boys, ordering them to stay put or they would have hell to answer for, and led Mira out and into the forest.

They walked for what felt like hours until they reached a cave located at a beach on the far side of the island. Peter said that they would be safe there so Mira relaxed and began looking around at the mounds of gold trinkets and coins that towered up from the ground. She gave him an accusatory look and he returned it with his best expression of innocence.

Mira sat patiently, waiting for Peter to begin.

"I arrived in Neverland about 110 Earth years ago – give or take." He added upon seeing Mira's surprised look. "But I wasn't the first to get here. Long before me, the Indians and pirates battled against each other for centuries, establishing boundaries and such.

"The Indians had these," he held up the dart for Mira and passed it to her. "But see, they had brought them from Earth and quickly ran out. Apparently the darts only demobilise people for a few minutes – made them dizzy and stumble. If what you say is true, the pirates have found a way to alter its effects to cause unconsciousness."

Mira still didn't quite understand. A quality that must have shown on her face because Peter continued to explain.

"Don't you see? After the pirates were banished to the outer islands they must have found resources that we know nothing about! This is dangerous and could be the reason the island is – is dying." His voice quivered and so Mira walked over to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure," she offered a reassuring smile, "that between you, your friends and I, we can figure this out and make sense of it."

"Yes, but I can't even make sense of _you_ , Mira! How can I figure out what the pirates are planning if I can't even understand one person..." He trailed off and stood to lean against the cave wall, watching the light flush of Mira's cheeks redden and feeling his own do the same.

"You can fly without pixie dust. You can converse easily with both mermaids and the Indians – as if you have been able to for your entire life. _And_ ," he exaggerated, "I get this light, buzzing feeling whenever I'm around you. I just – I just don't understand any of it." He stalked out of the cave and onto the beach.

Mira looked after him in shock before following him and sitting beside him on the sand. "You know, it was probably the dart that gave me the abilities. If the pirates have manufactured a new type of poison from native Neverland resources, it would make sense that it would have effects like this. Wouldn't it?" Mira questioned.

"I don't know, Mira. Do you remember anything about that night? Anything at all? Why did the pirates want you? And how did they know about you?"

Mira sighed from beside him. She wished that she could answer his questions but she had been unconscious most of the time. A weak apology floated through the sea breeze but was waved off by Peter.

"You're brave. To be kidnapped and thrown into the sea – not to mention everything that has followed since then. It's admirable and a good thing too. You need to be brave to live here."

Mira blushed. She shifted a little closer to him and he threaded his arm though hers. They sat, arm in arm, Mira telling stories to make Peter laugh and lighten the atmosphere enough so they could eventually fly home.


	14. Chapter 14

14 – Shhh

They passed the following days with childish humour; free from the thoughts that aged them. With each day that passed, Mira thought less and less about the place she left behind. It was not that she was actively trying to forget, she was just so consumed with the adventures her new life had to offer that she had no spare time to remember her previously mediocre existence.

Mira made regular trips to see the merpeople, who had become some of her closest friends. Together, they enjoyed passing afternoons frolicking around the lagoons and Mira pretended she didn't know Peter was hiding in a nearby tree, watching over her from a safe distance. From his point of surveillance he could make sure that Mira was safe and should there be an issue, say for example if one of the mermaids became a bit too enthusiastic while swimming, Peter could be there within seconds to return Mira to dry land.

One afternoon at the lagoon, Peter's attention was drawn to Sirena waving to him from behind a boulder so Mira and her friends would not be alarmed and so she could speak to Peter alone. She pressed one of her webbed fingers to her lips to warn him not to alert the others. Peter floated down to the water's edge as quietly as possible and on arrival saw the dark expression that shadowed the mermaid's face.

" _It's Tinkerbell."_ She hummed, keeping her voice low. _"Last night I was doing my rounds and went out a little further than I'm supposed to. I was swimming beneath Captain Hook's ship when I felt a strange tingle. There was someone on the ship, Peter, someone other than a pirate!"_

"Tinkerbell." Peter finished with wide eyes. "You mean she's been there this entire time?" he asked, trying to slow his racing heart.

" _When I surfaced I could see a small glow from one of the lower windows. Smaller than any of the candles. Something is wrong, Peter!"_

"What's wrong?" Mira chimed in, appearing on the boulder above them. Peter and Sirena had become so engrossed in their conversation that neither had realised the volume of their conversation.

Peter cursed to himself and after much spluttering from the two, Peter admitted the situation.

"Tinkerbell is in trouble and we have to help her." Peter thanked Sirena and said that they would be in touch if anything changed.

That night, Peter and Mira used the darkness to disguise them as they flew up to the ship. Sirena had been right, there was a small glow near one of the windows, it flickered a little making a sick feeling of dread bubble in Peter's stomach. He tried to pull the window open to get to Tinkerbell but it was stuck in the frame. Mira watched helplessly before joining in and together they tried to push and pull the window open in every direction, but it still would not budge.

' _We need something to pry it open'._ Mira thought to herself, trying to consider what options they had to do so.

' _Yeah, like a sword or something'._ Peter thought back. The two paused for a moment before looking at each other in disbelief. Even in the darkness, Peter could see that Mira's eyes were as wide as his own.

They were distracted by another flicker of light which gravitated them back to the situation. Peter placed a hand on Mira's arm, silently telling her to stay put and keep an eye on the window before flying up to peek onto the deck. There were two men sitting with their backs to him, trying to throw berries into a wooden cup on the other side of the deck. Peter looked towards the Captain's quarters. He silently slunk his way over and let himself in. The door creaked, making Peter's heart jump into his throat. He quickly hid behind the doorframe and out of sight, just as the two lookouts peered over to see where the sound came from.

"Do you suppose we should close it?" One asked the other. The door was hanging slightly ajar with Peter just inside of it. He held his breath and waited.

"Nah, we'll just say it was the wind. He'll slice us in two if he finds us anywhere near his quarters." They mutually agreed to remain where they were and were soon back to their game. Peter sighed with relief and took the chance to go further into the room.

Captain Hook was sprawled across his bed in no manner of majesty. At any other time, Peter would take the opportunity to mess with him, maybe cut his hair, or poke holes in all his socks. But tonight, there were more important missions.

He trod quietly over to the stand that held a dozen swords and chose the sturdiest looking one of the bunch. Peter recognised it as the sword Captain Hook had attacked Mira with the morning she had arrived in Neverland. Peter lifted the sword but was unprepared for it weight. He stumbled into the nightstand beside the Captain's bed. Peter sucked in a sharp breath as the man stirred and sat up, mumbling something in his sleep before lying back down. Peter moved as quickly and quietly as he could manage, slipping through the door and over the side of the ship without any more incidents.

Mira saw the glint of the sword and together, they were able to pry open the window. Tinkerbell was laying directly beneath it, hoping someone would eventually see her. Peter picked her up gently and gave her a once over. If it had not been for her lingering glow, he would have feared the worst. But the sprite opened her eyes just enough to see who was looking over her and gave him a weak but reassuring smile.

Peter was almost bursting with relief and while Mira removed the sword, Peter tucked Tinkerbell delicately into the folds of his clothes. As they flew away, they heard the rampage of a very angry pirate. Something had woken Captain Hook from his sleep and he had woken to find his favourite sword missing. They swallowed their laughter until safely within the cover of forest, conceding to their uncontrollable hysterics the rest of the way home.


	15. Chapter 15

15 – Lightning and Thunder

Once Tinkerbell was home again, had had something to eat and a nice long rest she was almost back to normal. She joked with the Lost Boys by giving her best drunken pirate impersonation – she stumbled around the table and pretended to fall off, only to have her wings catch her just before she hit the floor. Tinkerbell was also finally able to properly welcome Mira to Neverland herself.

Peter was surprised to see the two get along so well. In the past, Tinkerbell had not taken kindly to Peter's friends that were of the female sex. But he saw in their interaction Mira put Tinkerbell at ease, the same way she had managed to do so with everyone else she had met; except for the pirates that is. Everyone seemed to like her and she appeared to like everyone just as much in return. The Lost Boys often competed for her attention but with an air of grace she paid each of them the attention they sought.

If Mira was not in the hideout, she was usually found out with Tinkerbell. The two would often sit in trees or by the river; silently speaking to one another. This strange new ability to talk with her mind intrigued Mira more than she dared to admit. She had tried talking to some of the boys by using her mind only, but the best she could do was get them to turn towards her; as if they thought she had said something to them without actually hearing what it was. So why could Peter and Tinkerbell hear her?

Peter had been spending most of his days alone. He had been patrolling the island and each day would arrive home after dark with the same stony expression clouding his face. Then, each night he would slip away after everyone had fallen asleep. Mira was often woken by him. Sometimes she would hear him leave, sometimes his thoughts would be so loud, thumping against the inside of his cranium, that she couldn't help but hear them. Those nights she would lay awake, and hear him return just before morning so that no one would notice he was gone. No one, that is, except Mira.

One afternoon, while Mira and Tinkerbell were enjoying the sun, Mira turned to her friend and asked if she knew where Peter went each night. The fairy looked down at her tiny feet, trying to figure out how much to tell her.

" _He has a friend,"_ she whispered through her thoughts, _"that he goes and visits sometimes."_

" _He must be quite fond of them; he goes almost every night."_

" _He didn't use to go that much. And he does – he really likes her."_

Mira lay herself back to look up at the sky. Peter had never spoken about anyone else being brought to Neverland. But she had always figured there was probably someone else who had. The way he taught her to fly made her think that it probably wasn't the first time he had done so. Mira was just about to ask Tinkerbell who Peter's friend was before her fairy friend got up quickly and hurried them home for supper.

Like always, that night Peter eased off his bed and headed for the exit. His rising did not wake Mira tonight, for she was already awake. She had been waiting for him to leave so that she could follow him. She was not trying to be nosy, but the frequency of his excursions had increased so much so that she began to feel concerned.

Mira crept behind him, being careful not to make any noise, and kept a safe distance behind him all the way to the beach. Using the trees for cover, she watched as he stood on the sand, taking deep breaths and eventually he shot off from the ground. He soared higher and higher into the night sky and it wasn't long before Mira lost sight of him. Her only clue was a small flash in the sky, and she assumed he must have gone back to earth. But for what reason, she did not know.

Mira decided to wait on the beach. It was a warm night, the soft breeze sifted through the trees and gently ruffled her hair. The pirate's ship could be seen a way off, by the glow of the lit windows and the drunken fights that echoed across the water and up onto the sand. The mermaid patrols stuck their heads above the water in regular intervals, and waved towards Mira to inform her that they knew she was there, before ducking below the surface and letting the ripples soften.

The night dragged on and the pirate activity began to die down until she was surrounded by almost complete silence; only the waves remained animated. After some hours had passed, the glistening, starlight sky was suddenly blackened by a suffocating blanket of cloud, which erupted in the violent call and answer of lightning and thunder. The rumbling resonated deep within Mira's chest and made her feel uncommonly lightheaded. She stumbled against a nearby tree and fought to keep her consciousness as the pounding moved from her chest to her head and threatened the strength of her knees. The intensity of the storm became overwhelming and the fog behind her eyes became harder and harder to ignore. She felt her knees betray her and hit the ground, shortly before she lost all feeling and the storm defeated her.


	16. Chapter 16

16 – An Awfully Big Adventure

Peter landed quietly on the windowsill, so to not startle the occupants that it framed. The scene showed a handsome woman tending to the needs of her elderly mother; who had long since been confined to her bed. Peter sighed and gently tapped on the window. The nurse turned, not surprised to find a boy there, and stretched her mouth into a thin line in an attempt to smile. Her face was worn, it portrayed the tiredness and sadly, her smile just became another line that betrayed her years.

She stood slowly, rubbing her hands on her legs and walked over to the window which she helped him push open. Peter ducked his head and stepped into the darkened room and looked around. He straightened up and was only slightly shorter that her.

"Hello, Peter."

"Good evening, Jane." He presented his customary bow, however it lacked its usual conviction.

The two took their positions on either side of the bed with practiced fluency and sat in silence for most of the night. Peter slipped his hand into Wendy's, occasionally looking between her and her daughter. On the nightstand was a neat pile of story books. In times gone by, Peter would sit at the window as Wendy told her brothers stories with conflict, love and always a happy ending. Then, when Peter met Jane he would regularly venture back to her world and she taught him to read the stories he was so fond of. So when it came time for Wendy to listen, Peter was more than happy to sit by her side and read the familiar adventures to her. However tonight the atmosphere in the room seemed crowded enough without the extra company of gloating and immortal characters. Their happily ever afters would never end, but there was nothing happy about tonight.

Beside the books were two photo frames. One held a picture of a pretty young Wendy, whose blue eyes, even in the black and white print, were still as striking as they ever were. She was accompanied by her two brothers, one was wearing a top hat, and the other clung to an old teddy bear. The second picture had the same young lady, grown up and standing with her two children at her daughter's graduation. The pictures made Peter smile to look at but also dreadfully sad. Sad for himself, and sad for the people smiling in them. Neither Jane nor Wendy smiled much anymore.

Wendy stirred and opened her eyes. She smiled warmly at Jane before turning to Peter. "My dear friend," she whispered, "I'm so sorry." Her breaths were short and frail. Even in the end, her greatest concern was for someone else.

Peter wiped a mutinous tear from his cheek and shook his head. "I'm not." He succeeded to smile, but it was not at all faithful.

They sat in silence before Wendy spoke again. "I love you both, so very much. Please, take care of one another." Jane began to cry and squeezed her mother's hand and they both promised to do so.

"Are you afraid?" Peter sniffled, not trying to hold his tears back anymore.

Wendy smiled weakly. "Of course not. I have lived. I have no regrets. You said yourself once that 'to die, would be an awfully big adventure.' I'm ready."

In her final moments, she was reminded of the blessings she had had in her life. The adventure that Peter had taken her on had taught her the importance a childhood has on being an adult. She knew she did not belong in Neverland, and as much as she would have liked to stay, her place was back in England. She had been a daughter, she had been a mother and a grandmother, but she had always been Wendy.

Wendy's chest fell as her breaths faded and her eyes closed slowly as if she was falling asleep.

Jane stood and mechanically performed her observations while wiping her tears away and Peter just sat, feeling useless. It felt as if he had swallowed a stone that had become lodged in his throat while his chest swelled with anger and sorrow. He suppressed the urge to kick the furniture and lash out for fear it would upset Jane further; but he didn't know how to react. Jane came and knelt in front of him so she could see into his eyes.

"It's ok, Peter. She's happy, can't you feel it?" She placed a soft hand on his cheek and led him away from the bed and to one of the plump cushioned chairs on the other side of the room.

They sat quietly and held hands remembering Wendy together. Sometimes Peter would cry, and sometimes Jane would as well. They shared stories of the woman they had both loved and known at different stages of her life. Peter spoke about Wendy as a child, who for a time refused to grow up. Then Jane spoke of Wendy as an adult and mother, who refused, for a time, to let either of her children grow up. Eventually, the sadness subsided and the pair were left feeling numb and exhausted.

Peter stayed with Jane until the morning; until he had to leave before he was seen. He promised Jane that he would return and the friends said their goodbyes before he left quietly out the window from which he came.


	17. Chapter 17

17 – Hidden Passengers

Mira rolled over and snuggled into her pillow, it was only then that she realised she had been moved from the beach and back to her bed. As she looked around the room she could see all the boys and Tinkerbell were accounted for. Everyone that is, except Peter. She trotted over to Tinkerbell, who was seated on the grand sword Peter had kept as a souvenir from the night he and Mira had rescued her. Mira came to a halt and swayed slightly, her head that was still spinning slightly from the night before. Tinkerbell looked at her concerned but Mira assured her that she was fine and proceeded to ask where Peter was.

" _I haven't seen him since he brought you back this morning."_ Tinkerbell thought to her. Mira nodded and thanked her anyway before leaving the hide out in search of him.

It took an hour or so but eventually she found him up a tree on the edge of the beach. She floated upwards and landed beside him. He was staring out into the distance and Mira followed his line of sight to the pirate ship. Captain Hook could be seen flailing his arms around and shouting at his crew. This made Peter smile weakly and broke the frozen expression that had previously occupied his face.

"Do you want to talk about it? I figure the storm last night must have come from somewhere. It was pretty intense." Mira said quietly.

Peter looked at the ground and shook his head. He was not ready to talk about it because he still didn't completely understand what had happened. Instead, he rested his head on her shoulder and she held his hand quietly until a splashing caught their attention in the lagoon below.

Sirena had a confused expression as they landed beside her on the shore and asked what the problem was.

" _ **Captain Hook is furious. He keeps asking the crew about a missing sword. You didn't do anything stupid and short-sighted the other night, did you Peter?**_ **"** Her melody was jagged and her eyes kept darting to the boat.

Peter and Mira looked at each other. Peter knew that stealing a nice sword from Hook would annoy him but he never imagined that he would be _upset_ if a sword went missing. He had dozens.

" _ **There is something else.**_ **"** Sirena continued. _**"They mentioned 'the wizard.' Does that mean anything to you?"**_

Peter thought for a moment before speaking. _**"I've never met a wizard but the last time we visited the camp, Gaho mentioned a 'lost traveller' that lived on the island a long time ago."**_ Mira made a mental note. That must have been what Peter and Gaho had been whispering about. Peter continued, _**"Do you think it could be the same person? Do you think they are trapped on the ship?"**_

Sirena shrugged, the water spots were beginning to dry off of her shoulders in the midday sun and so she dipped under the water slightly. _**"It's possible. If they were on the ship before I developed the sense then I would not know the difference. The entire ship just feels like pirate."**_

Peter and Mira looked at each other and knew what they had to do. For a while they considered waiting for night again but Peter was itching for a little adventure and exercise. So instead they decided that Peter would distract the crew while Mira sussed out the situation below deck. If they were keeping a prisoner, that is where they would be.

Peter landed on the boat and immediately pirates ran at him from all directions. Leading the pack was a furious Captain Hook who already had his sword drawn. Peter pushed off, up into the sails while Hook chased after him like death, up a rope ladder. From the air, Peter could see Mira sneaking behind the distracted pirates and disappearing below the deck. Once she was in the clear, Peter pulled out his dagger and started slicing at tightly strung ropes. The sails fell towards the bellowing men below and they began scrambling to get free. Captain Hook swung past on a loose rope, swiped his sword towards the boy and the fight had begun.

Downstairs, Mira walked quietly, looking around posts and corners to make sure she would not be attacked by any unseen pirates. But when she was sure she was alone she started looking for the mysterious stranger that Sirena had told them about. At the farthest end of the ship, hidden in a corner and bound to the wall in chains, she found a middle aged looking man wrapped in a torn and tattered cloak. He looked as if once upon a time he would have stood quite tall, with broad shoulders. But now he appeared weak and thin. Besides this, Mira gasped as she noticed that both of his legs had been unevenly severed at some point and enough time had passed since then for the skin to heal; leaving him with two stumps. His right leg was missing from about halfway up his calf, while the left had been hacked off above the knee.

The man was disturbed and opened his eyes. He blinked furiously and looked at her closely before changing his expression entirely. His eyes widened at the young girl, and definitely not pirate, standing before him.

"You have to leave. Y-you have to get out of here right now. If they find you down here they-they'll KILL you, you hear?" He watched as Mira remained trapped in her position. "GET OUT!" He growled.

Mira watch him try to shoo her away with his hands bound to the wall. She walked over to him and tried to find a way to free him; ignoring all his protests. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Morgan." He replied sharply. Mira remarked how it wasn't much of a _Neverland_ name as she tried shaking the confines loose. "It's a family name."

They heard some bellows from up on deck and a few antagonising comments from Peter, but Mira could tell the fight was reaching its end. She was not strong enough to carry a fully grown man and fly at the same time. Furthermore, she had not found anything to help him get free. Mira looked at Morgan and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder while promising that she and Peter, would come back as soon as they could to get him. She squeezed his shoulder gently and helped him take a drink of water before finding a side window and escaping.

When Peter saw her fly back towards the island, he drew the crew's attention to the opposite side of the boat by threatening to throw a barrel of ale over the side. As the men leapt for it, he let go and flew off after Mira.

Mira explained her interaction with Morgan to Peter. He hummed as he tried to make a plan, but night was falling and he wanted to get back to the hide out and plan there. On their way home, he heard a crunch under his foot and looked down to see a patch of dried grass and flowers. He looked around to see the browning of vegetation had spread further inwards towards the centre of the island. The sight made his stomach churn the whole way back home.

"What is happening to this island?" he mumbled to himself.


	18. Chapter 18

18 – Morgan

The evening had consisted of the usual mirth that came from the Lost Boys. Ignorant of Mira and Peter's expedition that afternoon, they spoke of their own adventures until the very last could be heard snoring. When they had their privacy, Mira and Peter began to compare notes. They began with the part of greatest importance. Mira told Peter about Morgan and why she could not leave with him. She told him which window she was able to leave from, and about Morgan's missing legs.

"It was strange though, Morgan immediately told me to leave. It was like he didn't even want to be rescued. That's strange, don't you think? That a man who is chained to a wall wants to stay there." Her eyebrows pinched together in confusion, trying to think of any reason that would account for it.

"Maybe he is one of them?" Peter suggested. Mira shrugged, she may have been mistaken but they dismissed the idea almost as quickly as it had been formulated. Pirates were in limited supply so it would make no sense to chain one up for so long.

"Hook was furious." Peter told her after she asked what had happened on deck. "He kept accusing me of stealing that stupid sword." He tilted his head to where it lay, almost forgotten in the corner.

"But Peter, you _did_ steal that sword." Mira said with a smirk on her face.

"I know," he laughed, "but I didn't tell him that. Apparently it's his favourite, I don't know why. It's pretty ugly when you really look at it."

The pair looked towards the blade. It was long and well kept. So well-kept that Mira wondered if it had ever actually been used before the other morning. There were no scratches on it except for where they had used it to pry the window open. The handle was encrusted with several gems that grew more vibrant the more you looked at it.

"I think I'll keep it for when it really comes in handy." Peter added and they laughed quietly together so that they didn't wake any of the boys.

Peter tossed and turned all night. His thoughts rattled around inside his head and prevented him from sleeping. Who was Morgan? Why was Hook keeping him locked up? If Hook was trying to keep him a secret he must be important, Peter thought. Perhaps he might know something about the island dying.

Peter eased off the bed and quietly left. He stopped at the edge of the beach where the water lapped around his ankles. From his position he could see that most of the lights on the ship were out; there was no movement except for the usual sentries pacing along the deck. Peter pushed off from the ground and made his way to the side of the ship to find the window Mira had described. The frame was sitting slightly ajar and Peter silently thanked Mira for leaving it as such before he squeezed through it. Peter found himself in the lowest level of the ship. The water rocked the boat from side to side and Peter almost lost his balance a couple times before he found his balance. He scanned the area, looking for the man Mira had described, and found Morgan sitting alone and chained to the wall – just as Mira had said.

"Sir?" Peter prompted. The man jolted awake. His eyes were wide in terror and his stumps flailed around madly until he realised that the person who had woken him was not a pirate. "Shh!" Peter hurriedly said as Morgan started to yell. They were quiet for a moment, listening to see whether they had alerted anyone above them.

A few moments passed with no indication of alarm, they sighed in relief and Morgan said, "I doubt anyone heard, I've been here so long I suppose they have forgotten I'm down here."

Peter looked at him sadly. For the first time since being there, Peter took in the man's pitiful appearance. He took a deep staggering breath and began to speak, drawing as much confidence as he could. "My friend came to see you today. She said you were stubborn but frankly, I need answers. A whole lot is happening out there and I get the feeling you probably know something about it. I've heard you're a wizard." Peter stared at him fiercely and watched as Morgan lowered his eyes to the ground, giving one, very slight nod.

Morgan began fussing with the chains. "Don't suppose you could give a guy a hand?"

"You talk, and I'll find something to get you out of there." Peter said with a sigh. Morgan took a deep breath and began to speak very quietly while Peter started looking around for something to pick the locks.

"I was born in the 13th century ... Earth time." He added upon seeing Peter look at him strangely. "I was born into a close fellowship who banded together to protect themselves from humans. People who practiced magic like we did were not kindly thought of at the time." He ignored another side look from Peter and continued. "We were hunted and slain, I lost many friends and family because they were either murdered or separated from the group. Once someone disappeared you usually never saw them again." Morgan rubbed his forehead in agitation, pushing his ragged red hair out of his eyes. "One day, I was watching out for my sister as she played with her young child in the stream, unaware of the Crown's knights approaching us from behind. We were ambushed; surrounded with no way out. I can still hear my sister's screams and the child's cries." Morgan's voice faltered slightly and Peter turned to see him squinting his eyes shut in anguish at the memory.

"Anyway, I had been a researcher of sorts and thought I had found a way to move our physical being from one point to another. It would have been revolutionary for my people. In situations like that, we could just disappear and no one would need to feel the edge of a blade or the lick of a flame again. I ran to my sister and grabbed her; she held the child in her arms and I squeezed my eyes shut and whispered the incantation. I was trying to get us to a coastal area where we had stayed briefly as children. It was quiet and secluded – the perfect place to escape to. But something went wrong and we ended up on the beach here. We had no idea where we were but after a while we realised that none of us were aging. It was frightening to begin with but at least here we were safe."

Peter found a small pin and began working to release the chains. "Were you the first ones here?"

"No, no. Don't forget that the Neverland has plenty of natives. The fairies and the mermaids for example. It was only when other people started finding themselves here that things started getting worse." Morgan's eyes wandered down and rested on the place where his feet used to be. His face was sadly neutral as he remembered what had happened next.

"For a long time we lived peacefully. But when the pirates came everything changed. They were set on consuming the place and ruling it as their own. They would storm through the forest in the middle of the night, killing countless creatures in their wake. Soon, Neverland was no different from Earth. A lot of people, including us, went into hiding. The Indians held them off for a while but even so, they were couldn't match the tyrants. But no matter how much the pirates tried, the island itself seemed to fight back. There was a life source that fed the land and kept it alive. One day, as I was out collecting food, I came across a magnificent tree. Far bigger that the rest and its roots appeared to run under the entire island. I could feel the energy radiating off of it. _'This was it,'_ I thought."

"The hide out tree? That was the life source?" Peter asked wide eyed. He pulled the chains off but Morgan told him just to loosen it. If he was freed, Captain Hook would know that someone had been down there and they would all be doomed.

"Yes, it was. I began to make the journey to the tree every day. I was consumed with curiosity about its magical properties and it soon became an obsession. Little did I know, that once again I was being watched. One of the pirates had been following me for days and went back to tell Captain Hook. The next time I returned to the tree he was waiting for me and demanded that I tell him how to make Neverland surrender. When I refused him he swore that I would regret it. But I didn't care what he did to me. There was an entire collective of people who counted on the island and although I could condemn myself, I could never condemn them." He sighed and wiped at tears silently running down his cheeks with his newly loosened hands.

"The following morning I was woken by the screams of my sister. I ran to her as fast as I could, only to find Captain Hook standing above her with her child in his arms. I fell on my knees and begged that he show mercy to the child and take me instead, but it was too late. He had already murdered the babe. The sick bastard handed my sister back her baby and stalked off laughing. He _laughed_."

Peter was silent, staring at Morgan as his head fell and his shoulders shook uncontrollably. There were a few minutes where Peter did not know what to do. He was in shock. Peter had always known Hook was evil but this was something entirely different. He felt a surge of hate gather in his chest and made a move to stand and storm upstairs to where he knew Hook was sleeping. But Morgan caught him by the wrist and gave him a look to warn him not to be foolish. Peter sat back down and waited for Morgan to speak again.

"My sister was inconsolable. So I took the baby and brought it to the tree, desperately praying for a miracle. A warm breeze swept through its branches and slowly the leaves began to fall. The colour of the bark trickled away until it was completely pale. But as it did, the red flush returned to the baby and they began to breathe again. Neverland had known that its identity had been compromised and so this way, the child could live and Neverland would be safe again. As long as the child survived, so would Neverland. We hid in the forest for a long time, keeping the baby safe and out of sight. No one knew where we were or what had happened to us. Not until years later."

He pointed at the water bucket and Peter helped him take a few gulps. Morgan thanked him and rested his head back against the wall.

"I don't know how, but Captain Hook found us. Soon after killing the baby he had returned to the tree and found it dead, so for years he almost gave up on the prospect of domination. But when he saw that the baby was alive, it didn't take him long to understand what had happened. We tried to run but we had nowhere to go. I told my sister to take herself and her child back to Earth where they would hopefully be safe. We said goodbye and I never saw her again. I don't know what happened to her on Earth but she was lost. Captain Hook captured me, tortured me," Morgan gestured to his legs, "But I couldn't tell him any more than he already knew."

"And the baby?" Peter coaxed.

"I thought I would never see them again." Morgan coughed awkwardly and his eyes darted away from Peter. "But I did, years later. They had grown up while on Earth. I don't know how they got here but one day I saw them fly past that window." He pointed to the window on the opposite side of the space.

Peter's heart started to race and he had to lean against the wall to slow his dizzy head. His only lasting memories of Earth was growing up in the workhouse.

"You know your place Peter Pan, you have to keep Neverland safe; its people need a guardian. Without you, Neverland will cease to exist. _That_ is why you were brought here."

Peter tried to control his breathing, but he heard footsteps approaching the staircase. "Come with me." He pleaded.

"I can't, it is too dangerous and you can't carry me alone. Captain Hook has all but forgotten about me down here. I'll be okay."

Peter gave him a worrisome look but the unknown pirate was just about to enter the room and he needed to go; for both their sakes. Peter rushed to the window, looked back to see Morgan nod his head at him, before rushing out and leaving.


	19. Chapter 19

19 - Deal

Peter sat as his mind spun behind his eyes. The past couple of nights had been so intense he barely knew what to make of it. It just sat like a heavy weight inside his chest. He looked over at Mira and considered waking her up to tell her everything that Morgan had said. It all made sense, his connection to the island, he had no memory of his family. Why would he if he last saw them as a baby? Even Morgan's red hair resembled his own. But if Neverland's life source was what gave him second life, was it really his life? Tears began to spill down his cheeks and a mixture of frustration, fear, and sorrow paralysed him as he drowned in questions.

Movement from the other side of the room drew him back to his seat. Looking over, he could see Mira struggling with her tangled blanket in an effort to sit up. He shifted in his seat watching her approach, one of his legs was numb and plagued with pins and needles.

"Where have you been?" Mira asked.

Mira pulled a chair out from the table and sat down beside him.

"Nowhere." He lied.

She saw the distance in his eyes, staring at the floor and avoiding her own. "Right, but what I mean is where has _this_ been?" she gently placed two fingers to his temple. "I could feel your thoughts from over there." She gestured towards the bed she had just came from. "What is making them so heavy?"

She looked at him steadily. For a moment he just stared at the floor. He was worried that by telling her it would show weakness, a condition he felt was becoming all too familiar.

"I can't read your thoughts unless you direct them to me. But I think I can guess what you're feeling and you don't have to worry about that." She reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You can tell me."

He looked at her with glossy eyes.

"The island is dying." He choked. "The island is dying and I have no idea how to save it, or its people. If I can't do that, what kind of guardian am I?"

He buckled at the waist and his face fell forward into his hands, begging himself not to cry. Mira knelt down beside him and tried to console him.

"I know it's a lot of pressure, but I believe you can save it. If you are its ... guardian," she said hesitantly, not exactly sure what that meant, "then surely you were chosen for a reason."

He looked at her, seeing the hope in her eyes lightened the weight in his chest enough for him to sit up straight again. He stood up and held out his hands to help her up as well before reaching out and pulling her into a tight hug.

"Want to go flying? We can take a look and see which parts of the island are having the most trouble. It's almost morning now anyway." Peter watched her nod before he took her hand and led her out of the hide out.

As the sun began to rise, Peter and Mira flew circles around each other while watching out for any browning areas on the forest. From what they could see, most of the deterioration was around the outside, lining the beach, and working its way towards the hide out tree at the island's centre.

"See, it isn't so bad." Mira called to him and smiled.

Peter watched her auburn hair flip around her face and started soaring higher and higher. Mira had brought a new hope and adventure into his life that he never knew he was missing. Recent events, however, made him think of how he would feel if anything were to happen to her. If Captain Hook ever realised that he was the child from Morgan's story, Neverland could become very dangerous, very quickly. Peter regretted his idea, but believed the only way to keep Mira safe was to take her home.

Peter looked over at her and pointed to the ground, indicating that they should land. He took the lead and landed on top of a cliff, looking out into the infinite waters. Mira landed gracefully beside him and laughed excitedly at the adrenaline rush.

"Mira," Peter started, waiting for her to look at him, "I've been thinking and I think I should take you home."

The smile from her face dropped and her eyes grew wider. She stood up and began to walk away before breaking into a sprint. Peter flew after her, calling for her so he could explain himself. Her breaths were short and he looked panicked; Mira had stopped running but instead she had begun to pace. Peter looked at her worriedly and held onto her shoulders to try and calm her.

"Wh-why? N-no I have to stay here. Why can't I stay?"

"Mi-"

"Don't you want me here? Don't you like me?"

"No b-"

"Is it because I can fly or talk to those people?"

"Mir-"

"I don't mean to! It just happens!"

"Mira!" Peter was finally able to say. "Of course not. You are the most mind-blowing person I've met in a very long time and I don't want you to go. But I'm worried something will happen to you if you stay. I would prefer to know that you're safe."

"I'm not safe back there though. There is no one who loves me or cares about me. I'm trapped in a room all day and all night; sometimes without food. That's why I was so surprised to find the pirates had gotten in; I didn't know it was possible! Being here with you is the first place that has felt safe. I have friends now, the mermaids, the boys and Tinkerbell; and I'm sure that with more time, Tigerlily and I could be good friends too. Please Peter, don't make me leave." She looked up at him pleadingly. He pulled her into a strong embrace and placed a gentile kiss on the top of her head. Captain Hook still did not know about him and so, for now, they were safe.

"Alright then, but you stick with me. Deal?"

"Deal."


	20. Chapter 20

20 – Run.

Peter kept close to Mira. Where ever she went, so did he; making sure to keep no more than an arm's distance between them. If she was with the mermaids, they had to stay on the shore edge and they would never venture further than the lagoon. The pirates never came in there but if they did, Mira and Peter could be safely inside the forest before the pirates had even left the ship.

Tinkerbell would usually stay near them as well. Unless Peter needed her to keep an eye on the Lost Boys, she usually hovered around his shoulders. Tinkerbell would not be able to fight off a band of pirates but at least she could tell Peter if anything serious happened.

One afternoon as Mira and Peter were walking back from the lagoon, Mira heard something rustle behind a nearby bush. Mira grabbed Peter's arm and pushed a finger to her lip. They stood frozen and listened for another sound. Another rustle shook the bush except this time someone jumped out from behind it and launched towards them. It was Clef, brandishing a sword and now running straight towards them. Peter didn't wait to think, he grabbed Mira's hand and pulled her in line with his sprint as the two ran further into the forest.

" _They've found us."_ Peter thought to her as he looked for a route to take.

" _We can't lead them back to the hide out. We would be handing Tink and the boys straight to them."_

Peter had been so focussed on leading Clef away from the hide out that he had led them into a dead end. They had ran themselves right into the bottom of a cliff face. As Mira turned to look over her shoulder she saw the entire pirate crew closing in on them. Clef came to a halt beside Captain Hook who passed him a long thin pipe and a small feathered object. Mira recognised it immediately as one of the darts that had knocked her out. Her eyes widened and stomach flipped.

"Fly, Peter! Fly!" She screamed at him. They took off up the cliff face.

 _This is it_. Peter thought. _They've figured it out_. He looked down to see what the pirates were doing. Mira was just behind him and followed his gaze down to the ground. Peter watched Clef lift the flute to his lips and aimed towards them. As he let out a forceful breath, Mira stopped suddenly and flew in front of Peter. The dart hit her in the side and she started to fall. Peter was frozen, watching in horror as she hit the ground and the pirates started to drag her away. ' _What have I done?'_


	21. Chapter 21

21 – A Very Bad Plan

Peter paced around the main room of the hide-out. He blamed himself and now had no idea how to get her back. He had tried to follow after them but four of Hook's men had held him up. By the time he got free of them Hook, Clef, and the rest of the crew had taken Mira and disappeared.

" _I'm the one he wants!" Peter yelled at his opponents as they brandished their swords and advanced towards him. He ducked under the swipe of a sword. "Have Hook take me and let Mira go."_

" _Hook wants a trade. For something YOU stole." The pirate answered._

Peter picked up a chair and threw it across the room in frustration. The chair hit a wall and broke into pieces sending legs and splinters in every direction. One of the legs projected and hit the sword that he had taken the night they had rescued Tinkerbell. The sword fell to the ground with a crash, causing Peter to spin around.

"Of course!" Peter yelled to himself. He raced over, picked up the sword and ran for the exit. Maybe they still had no idea about who he was and if he gave the sword back they will hand over Mira. It was a pretty extravagant plot on the pirates' part, but a trade made sense.

Peter arrived at the ship but was surprised to find no one was there. He stormed below deck and found Morgan on his own.

"Where are they?" Peter bellowed from halfway across the room. "Where did they take her?"

"I-I don't know." Morgan stuttered.

"That's not good enough. Where are they?" Peter howled, his desperate voice breaking mid-sentence.

"W-well there's this place. Like an old castle on one of the outer islands."

Peter nodded and rushed up the stairs. As the evening sunset flowed through one of the windows, the light reflected off the sword and into Morgan's eyes. He gasped and called after Peter. "Peter, wait! The swo-" But Peter had already left and was too far gone to hear him.

Peter flew as fast as he could, straining against wind and sea spray until he had reached the outer islands. The castle Morgan described was mermaid-built and located on the Forgotten Island. Named so because most of the time, the island was under water and land dwellers had forgotten that it was there. However, since the beginning of the Neverland's sickness, the oceans had been receding and the mermaids were forced to abandon the castle they had built on the island and find shelter elsewhere.

Peter arrived and crept ashore. He felt a light tingle on his shoulder and looked down to see Tinkerbell coming to rest beside his head. "Thanks for coming." Peter whispered to her. Tink nodded at him and together they crept forward to peek through one of the stone windows.

Hook had Mira chained to a wall and was using her as target practice for some of his other swords. He was obviously not trying to kill her, his throws were landing too wide to be considered real attempts, but he was trying to frighten her. And by the looks of it, it was working. Mira flinched with every sword crash and every filthy word the pirates spat at her. Peter restrained the urge to barge inside, swords swiping. But there were too many pirates and he was going to need a head start if he wanted to get Mira out safely.

The pirates were starting to lose interest in their distorted game of darts and were filtering off to other areas of the room. Mira was more or less alone and Peter saw his chance to get her out. He crept inside and along the wall until he reached her. While no one was looking, he raised the sword above his head and Mira squeezed her eyes shut as Peter brought it down onto the rusted chains that kept her pinned against the wall. Unfortunately, this didn't have the desired affect and instead of allowing them to fly free, it only called the attention of nearby pirates.

Pirates swarmed at them from all sides and Peter felt the sweat drip from his brow. They were in trouble now. The first pirate to arrive swung his sword at Peter who blocked its course with the stolen one in his possession. There was a kick from behind him as three more men charged at him and came between Peter and Mira. Peter began blocking and launching at all his assailants, suddenly realising that he probably could have come up with a better plan. He reached down and pulled out his trusty dagger to increase his chances of defending himself. Someone kicked him in the back, knocking him to the ground, while another stamped on his wrist and tore the sword out of his grasp. Peter was curled into the foetal position, trying to block some of the blows while unconsciousness begin to tickle behind his eyes. Suddenly the beatings stopped at the cue of an echoing bellow throughout the room.

"Enough!" Captain Hook growled.

Peter looked up to see Hook holding Mira by the hair and placing his newly repossessed sword to her neck. Peter shot upwards, wincing at the various bruises he had acquired but the closer he got to Hook, the closer the sword came to her neck.

"Come on, Hook. You don't want her!"

"Don't I? I don't know. I've been awfully bored lately and I think killing her would be a delicious way to liven things up – you'll forgive the pun." Hook continued to tease Mira's throat with the sword blade. Peter had no choice anymore. Hook needed to know his secret.

"I'm the one you want, Hook. I talked to Morgan, the man you keep chained up below deck."

"Ah yes, the magic-man. Lovely fellow. He made me this sword in fact. Quite special, isn't it? I can't thank you enough for bringing it back to me."

"I talked to Morgan." Peter repeated. "I am the child, Hook. I am Neverland, and killing her won't do any good."

Hook let out a cry of laughter. He was hysterical and almost lost control of Mira who looked very confused. "Is that what the old man told you?" Hook asked, breaking out in laughter once more. "You really are an ignorant fool, Peter Pan."


	22. Chapter 22

22 – !

"Don't you get it? _She_ is Neverland, not you! _She_ was the child, not _you_! Why do you think we went all that way to find her and bring her here? Idiot." Hook, snarled. "It's true you were brought here to be a guardian. After the little life-switch you were chosen to protect her and Neverland. Great job by the way." His sarcasm rung within Peters ears. Hook grinned and pushed the blade against Mira's throat.

"Wait! Stop! You don't want to do that. If she dies, so does Neverland. If you kill her, everything will be lost and you will have nothing." Peter was desperate, thinking of anything that could save Mira.

"That is where you're wrong-" Captain Hook started before Tinkerbell lunged into the pit of his arm which held the sword. The jolt made him drop the blade and Mira lifted off, trying to put some space between them, but Hook caught her by the ankle before she was far enough away. Peter ran at him, lifting his dagger in the air. Hook threw Mira, sending her spinning into the arms of the two largest crew members; one of which was Clef. She fought against him but he kept a rough hold on her and so she could do nothing to help Peter.

Hook recovered his sword and the first clash of steel rang through the castle. Mira watched nervously as Peter ducked under some potentially fatal blows and swung his dagger, trying to make it past Hook's blocks. The Captain lunged over and over again until he sliced Peter's shoulder. Peter had moved at the last second so it was little more than a scratch but Mira winced as she watched the blood trickle down his arm. Peter didn't let it distract him though, he came at Hook with every measure of intensity that he had before. The pirates had enclosed the duo into a circle, cheering for their Captain and yelling abuse at Peter.

"Give up, BOY! You're not getting out of this alive!"

Peter tripped slightly on the uneven surface and it was enough of an opportunity for Hook to disarm him. Peter's dagger skidded and screeched across the stone ground and out of reach. He looked up at his opponent that now had the upper hand and watched as his eyes twinkled with delight. Captain Hook gave a final lunge towards Peter who quickly jumped up and out of the way of the sword, hovering in his position. The boy smiled at himself and looked down at Hook to see his disappointment. Instead, a sick dread settled in Peter's stomach as he saw the Captain smiling too.

Peter heard a small whimper from behind him. As he turned, he saw Clef holding Mira in place, the Captain's favourite blade protruding from her belly. A horrifying laugh erupted from the Captain and the rest of his crew joined in, cheering and singing. Clef ran over to his comrades, leaving Mira to crash to the floor.

Peter let out an agonising shriek. Falling to his knees to hold Mira.

The sword started to glow, as Peter fell out of the air, he looked at Mira as tears stung his eyes. As the glow dimmed, Hook walked over to her and when the sword had returned to the usual dull appearance, he yanked it from Mira's body. As he held it, he took a deep breath and turned to Peter. The sword was held in front of the Peter's face and he could feel the familiar hum that until now, he had associated with Mira, who lay still on the ground before him. The sword gleamed and Peter looked up at his enemy.

"Magic." Hook indicated towards the sword. "Specially engineered to suck the power from girly here. It's such a relief to not have to be patient anymore. I thought I was content on leaving it to slowly absorb her power while it sat in the same room as her. I will admit though, it got boring. This is so much more ... satisfying." He smiled with a sigh, before adding, "Peter, I would like to thank you again for bringing it along. I don't know what I would have done without you."

Something in Peter's mind snapped. He leapt onto Hook and reached down for his dagger with every intention of plunging it into the cold, black heart that echoed within the monster's rib cage. A glint caught his eye as he saw the dagger laying abandoned across the room. Instead, Peter wrapped his hands around the unexpectedly thin neck of Captain Hook and began to squeeze. His crew tried to help but in the commotion, Hook began flailing his sword around, and they couldn't get close enough. Captain Hook dropped to his knees and crashed to the floor. Peter scrambled off his shoulders, grabbed the sword, clung to his last happy thought and pushed himself into the air as the pirates rushed over to attend to their Captain who was coughing and gasping for breath. Peter scooped Mira into his arms and darted for the exit.

He lay Mira gently on the bank of the lagoon. The sun was just beginning to rise and it filled the sky with soft oranges and pinks. Mira's eyes opened slowly and Peter swept her hand into his.

"Peter," she said, not attempting anything louder than a whisper, "remember your purpose. Don't let Hook destroy Nev-."

"Mira, I ... I don't-" Tears slipped down Peter's cheeks as she looked up towards the sky.

Her eyes slid closed and her body fell limp. Peter shook her shoulders and screamed at her, trying to wake her but she didn't move. His friend began to glow slightly and become lighter to hold.


	23. Chapter 23

23 – The Final Effort

Peter pulled his face away from his knees which he had clenched tightly to his chest and were now saturated with tears. He looked around him and watched as the plague on Neverland spread its poison until the entire island was dead. The flowers fell limp and lost their petals. The trees lost all their colour and started to crack and splinter. Peter felt beneath him the usually lush grass turn dry and scratchy. His attention was drawn out to the lagoon where the water began to drain away, further out to sea. Before him was the harrowing sight of mermaids flopping and flailing, trying to drag themselves towards the water that had abandoned them. Their wails and pleas for help echoed throughout the basin.

"I'll be right back!" Peter bellowed towards them before running off into the forest in search of the Lost Boys. When he was about halfway to the hide-out tree, he stumbled over something small and moving just as fast as he was. "Twins?"

"Peter! Neverland-"

"-is DEAD!" The two told him.

"What is happening? Where is Mira?" said Slightly, appearing behind them, followed by the rest of the boys.

Peter choked and felt his knees go weak. He swallowed deeply and spoke, "I'll explain it all later. Right now the mermaids need our help."

"But they _hate_ us."

"I really don't think they are going to care about that right now." Peter responded. "Let's go!" He led the boys to the lagoon and they found the mermaids dry and shaking in the sun. Peter ran over to Sirena and began pulling her towards the deeper waters. Together, the boys were able to return everyone to the water.

"Peter, something is very wrong." Sirena hummed. "Peter, what is happening?"

Peter sighed, "Mira is dead." There were gasps from everyone, followed by an angry outcry and sobs. "Hook killed her to steal her power."

Peter proceeded to tell his friends the story; from Morgan's history, right up until just before the oceans receded.

"She was just ... gone." Peter began to cry and Sirena held his hand.

"Hook has declared war and we don't stand a chance unless we have Neverland with us again. Where is the sword now?" Sirena asked and watched Peter point toward the shore. "Ok, so as long as it is in a living thing, Neverland survives, right?"

"I think it needs to have the _potential_ to live. Mira was dead when the life went back into her."

" _So what if you put it back into the tree?"_ Tinkerbell interjected.

"Would that work?" Peter asked.

Sirena shrugged. "If the sword could take it away, maybe it could give it back as well. If the tree was the original source, it would still hold magical capacity, just like Mira would have by being a pureblood witch. Even if she was just a baby."

Peter nodded slowly, thinking it through. "But what are we going to do about Hook and his band of bastards?" Peter's face twisted into one of pure hate.

"Leave them to us." Tinkerbell assured him and gestured to the mermaids. Sirena whistled a low tune and out from the forest poured hundreds of small, glowing fairies ready to perform their duties.

"We can help too." Slightly spoke up on behalf of the lost boys.

Sirena looked at them with fortitude and nodded. "Let's go."


	24. Chapter 24

24 – Hope

The mermaids swam up to the bottom of the pirate ship where they could hear loud conversations occurring on deck. Sirena looked up to find the fairies lining the outside body of the boat, along with the Lost Boys hovering near them. There was a storm brewing overhead, making the waters angry and resentful. Altogether, they began to rock the boat from side to side.

" _We won't be able to push it over ourselves."_ Tinkerbell told Sirena.

" _ **If the plan works, we won't be by ourselves much longer."**_

Peter ran through the forest and stopped at the base of the hide-out tree. This was his last chance to make things right. He lifted the sword and plunged it deep within the roots of the tree. Both the sword and the tree began to glow and hum softly. The bark became darker, and big, green leaves the size of Peter's face began to grow back. From there, it initiated a ripple effect, spreading outwards across the land and filling the seas again.

Peter grabbed the sword and flew towards the pirate ship. He saw the pirates desperately holding on as his friends swayed the ship vigorously from side to side. Peter flew through the window that led to the room Morgan was in. He held the sword to his throat.

"Why would you make this for them? Mira is dead because of you!"

"Mira was dead to me a long time ago. I never thought I would see her or my sister again and so I didn't see the harm when I made it. They _tortured_ me. They cut off my legs!"

Peter was furious, but for some reason he pitied the man. The boat's rocking became more violent as the ocean joined in with his friends outside. Peter swung the sword and repeatedly hacked at the chains until they broke free. He clutched onto Morgan and Tinkerbell came in to help with a little pixie dust. Together, they were able to get Morgan out just before the boat tipped over entirely.


	25. Chapter 25

25 – Finale

Neverland had won. The pirate's had been defeated once again and had fled to the outer islands. There was peace, for now at least. Peter sat at the base of the Neverland tree and felt the hum in his chest. In the time that had passed since the battle, the sorrow of losing Mira had turned from a paralytic pain to a general, dull ache. But sitting by the tree eased it a small amount.

Sirena had suggested a ceremony for the people who knew her. Since the land had been restored, humans who had passed away in Neverland would not deteriorate. So as per the Indians' custom, Mira's body was assisted by the mermaids until the current would take the boat and float it beyond the horizon. The Chief had offered a bull-boat which was decorated by the fairies and Lost Boys with flowers that resurrected after the Pirates' demise. When it was time, Peter used whatever energy he had left to place Mira into the vessel, choking back his remaining tears. The fairies, Lost Boys and Tigerlily helped Peter push the boat into the water where the mermaids were waiting to guide it out to sea. Peter saw Morgan watching from the tree line but had the sense not to approach the mourners.

In the following days, Morgan disappeared into the forest once more. Tinkerbell kept an eye on him and gave regular reports to Peter. Most of them were about his new pixie friend that assisted him with his mobility. Morgan would never be capable of really flying. There was too much pain and too much adult to fly freely. But with some help from a generous pixie dust donor he was able to hover and move around that way.

Sirena and the mermaids kept sentries to watch the movements of the pirates but believed that it would be quite some time before they could rebuild their ship entirely.

The community mourned the loss of Mira but none so fiercely as Peter. He would sit in the shade of the Neverland tree, feeling the comforting hum and try to be content with what was left of her. Light breezes now swept through the leaves that had returned. One afternoon, as he sat among the roots and threw an apple from hand to hand, a glint of soft glowing light appeared out of the corner of his eye. Peter was just about to turn his head when slowly, a leaf from the tree fell away from its branch and floated down in front of him, landing in his lap.


End file.
